Communication systems are growing larger and more complicated to suit ever increasing needs and requirements. As a result, a larger number of audio signal sources and destinations, such as dispatcher consoles, must now be accommodated.
In such systems, internal data signalling is used to establish and maintain certain activities. Using a telephone landline connection as an example, internal data signalling establishes the telephone landline connection, other internal data signalling maintains the connection, and yet other internal data signalling allows the telephone landline connection to be broken. When a significant number of consoles are configured to be part of a common landline communication, either as source, destination, or both, various problems arise.
For example, the signalling ordinarily required from each console to maintain the telephone landline connection becomes great in accumulation, and this can greatly burden the internal data pathway. Such signalling could be avoided if maintenance signalling were not required; in general, however, such signalling significantly facilitates efficient and economic functioning of such a system. Therefore, such an alternative raises more concerns than it resolves.
Another related problem involves how one can support certain desired functions, such as the hold function, in such an environment without giving rise to conflicts between different consoles.
Accordingly, a need exists for a method for controlling allocation of a communication link that provides the reliability of current data signalling techniques while minimizing the amount of data signalling that is required, and that further supports desired functions without encouraging conflict between different consoles.